best ceramic garlic grater

what a great find! i discovered this cute little dish in a montreal shop that specializes in french provincial household goods. as mothers always know best, mine told me it was her favourite garlic grater and i would not regret my purchase ~ i will not discuss the price of this little dish, but i agree, it was worth every penny.

in fact, i liked it so much that when i found a ceramic shop selling them in st-rémy-de-provence, in the south of france, i bought at least half dozen to offer as gifts. they were of course much cheaper: i got four of them for the price of mine! and everyone loved them! i even included some garlic, which made a lovely little gift package.

so here is how it works: see those little indentations? well you guessed it, they are a perfect surface to make a perfect paste of either garlic, ginger, or even grate parmesan (although i will admit i haven’t yet tried the latter). most ceramic garlic graters have a slightly different texture than mine, but all are actually very easy to clean with a little brush. honestly it makes a perfect garlic paste, and may i add, a perfect gift too!

i can’t recommend many places to find them as they are definitely a european commodity, but a quick search on google should get you plenty of resources, maybe even some in your area. i also know that walrus in vancouver carries a german imported version which is very elegant.

how to get rid of garlic and onion smell on your fingers :

this is an awesome and simple trick i learned a while back, and it works wonders! with this type of garlic grater you will need to know it. first wet your hands, then grab a pinch of salt (don’t go using your fancy fleur de sel for this!) and scrub. then rinse and use your regular soap. if the smell persists, repeat with a little more salt, though it usually works the first time!

greatest canadian cheddar

i realize that for all cheese lovers out there, cheddar may not be at the top of your list. it may not even be on your list. but if you are a little open-minded, i am positive that these cheddar cheeses will rock your world.

smoked salmon cheddar

the first one is the smoked salmon cheddar from the village cheese company, in armstrong, british columbia. it is so delicious, that the very day i was introduced to it, i immediately fell in love; and so did those whom i know have tasted it. i will admit it is not easy to find (my friend had actually bought it in armstrong), and after many stops i finally suggested to one of my favourite cheese shop that they order it, as i believed many of their customers would also enjoy it. and they did. so thanks to them, one can now get it from the mount pleasant cheese shop on cambie street, in vancouver. it is a lovely little shop that specializes in canadian cheeses, and if you haven’t strolled the cambie village post-construction, it is really worth it!

i also eventually found it at dussa’s ham & cheese shop in the granville island market, if you don’t mind the shoulder-to-shoulder shopping (a huge deterrent for some). i am certain other places do carry it (but unfortunately not les amis du fromage, so save yourself a trip — a fantastic cheese shop btw).

truffle cheddar

the other cheddar i recommend exploring is for the finer palates, as truffles are not for everyone. but this truffle cheddar is likely to make any truffle lovers fall head over heels. this is particularly yummy with a glass of red wine... but i’ll leave it to you to pair it with your favourite beverage. this find is from the mount pleasant cheese shop, and unfortunately i do not have any more information at this time for it, but if you do, please send me a note! and yes, those little black nuggets are actual pieces of truffles!

now i apologize for all those living outside british columbia, as these might not be available in your neck of the wood. however, an enrollment conversation with your favourite cheese shop can go a long way! ;)